Invictus
by Dream-Spiral
Summary: The night sky had pried upon the two lovers, the moon and the creatures surrounding them, illuminating and bearing witness to their vows. A USUK Devil and Angel AU. Inspired by the poem Invictus by William Ernest Henley.
1. Part I

**Invictus****  
Part 1**

_Out of the night that covers me,  
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,  
I thank whatever gods may be  
For my unconquerable soul._

** T**he night sky had pried upon the two lovers, the moon and the creatures surrounding them, illuminating and bearing witness to their vows. The fallen one bearing a river of tears down upon his cheeks as he held his most beloved, uttering words of false hope and melancholic whimpers. The blessed cradled the fallen and consoled him, biting back tears of longing and regret. His vivid and bright eyes, gleaming with hints of hope yet they were cast in utter sadness. Gently he cupped the fallen's cheeks, pressing their foreheads together, the fallen's hands grasping onto his lover's wrist as his lips shook with fear but nonetheless he uttered the words, "Slowly but surely we will be the captains and masters of our own fate and souls.." The blessed nodded in agreement, moving his arms to wrap around the fallen one and embrace him completely. A gust of wind swirled around them, time had run out. The howling, the whispers slowly became louder and louder. Darkness rang upon them, the moon blinded by the clouds overhead, not wanting to bear witness to the cruelty that would be done to the fallen. The darkness had stripped away the lovers from one another and held onto the fallen, squeezing him tightly. His screams ringing throughout the midnight forest, they had seized him, humiliated him, and robbed him of his freedom, his will. Forced upon the dirt, forced to take the image of a child, forced to grow up and be torn down from his throne. Forced to be immortal and alone for his entirety, they who had never judged had cast the first stone and wrought out a war. A war in the fallen's soul, broken and beaten his eyes gleamed with determination, yes, they had done this to him and yes a war had started and yes, Arthur Kirkland, would stand and take back what had been robbed of him. He would be the **master of his fate and **_**the captain of his soul.**_

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** L**ain onto the dirt, Arthur Kirkland groaned and whimpered, stinging pain covering his back as he sat onto his knees. He sniffled, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he wiped away the tears from his swelled up eyes. With weak sniffles and whimpers Arthur looked around the forest, looking to see if there was anyone out there or a path that would lead him to a warmer place. With darkness glazing over the woods there was nothing to be found, just darkness. Not a light from any corner. Arthur shivered, pulling the cloak closer, wondering if this was it for him. Here he sat in utter darkness, alone and afraid. Holding onto no memories but his name he was sure he would meet his end here. Unknown to him, someone up above had made it his mission to protect him and had guided the moon to make a path for Arthur. The man whispered words into the night sky and with the help of the wind it carried his words towards Arthur's ears, "Walk forward, Arthur." Arthur blinked at the sudden whisper, looking around the young boy found not a trace of a being, only a lightened path lit by the moon. With weak knees and bruised arms he pulled himself up onto his feet, breathing heavily he wrapped the cloak closer to him. The cold winter winds biting at his bare flesh as he began to walk, unknown in what direction the path lead he simply walked forward, his mind in haze as his feet led him deeper and deeper into the woods.

** S**hivering cold, a pallid complexion, Arthur stopped and looked upon a small wooden cabin. Light flickered and jumped around the walls, welcoming Arthur and beckoning him to come inside. With bruised and sore legs the poor boy managed to find his way onto the porch. With a deep breath he mustered his strength and knocked as hard as he could, waiting for steps to be heard. Yet nothing came, nothing but the dreadful silence and Arthur knew with it came darkness. His battered body began to tremble, utterly afraid of being in death's cold grasp. He clutched his arms tightly, trembling teeth stopping. Gritting his teeth Arthur raised his arm, his balled fist knocking, pounding onto the door. He would not die here.

** W**ith sheer force and strength Arthur had managed to save his own life, the hard knocking echoed throughout the walls of the cabin, waking up its master. Brianna was a young widow. She bore no children and was deemed an ice queen. Everyone had questioned her marriage to her husband, who seemed full of life, a man much opposite to her. With his passing every bitter rumor of theirs was made true in Brianna's eyes. She shed not a tear at the funeral nor uttered a word but quickly came and left. Packing up all her belongings and moving back to where her deceased husband had first encountered her. The snowy woods of the Sherwood Forest welcomed Brianna since her birth, she had grown up to be an odd child in the eyes of her parents but nonetheless they gave all their love to her. The sound of crumpling snow beneath her feet gave her the support to move on but when whisked away from the forest by her beloved husband she felt not empty but complete. Now that he had passed she felt stranded. Stranded in an unknown and frightful place, in such she returned back to the snowy woodlands, alone and unafraid she would continue her life here. When hearing the loud banging on her door Brianna groggily awakened from her slumber, quietly but quickly slipping on her nearly worn out robe and slipping her sudden cold feet into a pair of fluffed boots, making her way towards the door. Deciding to be cautious she retrieved her hunting knife to guard her from the fear of the unknown. Slowly turning the handle, opening the door to her utter surprise she blinked and cast her weapon away, leaning forward to catch the small and frail body in her arms. Arthur clutched onto Brianna tightly. He had made it. He had taken a step and lived for another day. With the taste of relief Arthur had passed out in Brianna's arms, wanting to receive his reward of a good night's rest and of pleasant dreams before coming back into the world of reality to face the harsh demons in his life.

** A**lfred caught his breath, sighing ever so much with relief as a hand clutched his heart. Somehow he had managed what seemed impossible and saved his lover from death's grasp once again. This time however, in consequence of his actions he would be put under punishment. He had betrayed the one of above, betrayed his brothers and sisters for the one he saw no relation to but of a lover. Alfred had always considered himself a savior among the others, the best of them all and he had lived up to his name. Putting himself in harm's way and doing what he could to live for the people he cherished. Up above everyone loved him, no flaws but his association with Arthur. He cared not of what the others thought and whatever Arthur did he was there by his side. Unbeknownst to him, the day the two had met would be the undoing of them both and yet given the signs and warnings their bond flourished. Now that the deed was done Alfred knew of the consequence that came with it and he was fully prepared for it. Though they would strip him of his title, his crown and of his wings, Alfred would carry on with his own goal to find Arthur. Alfred had perceived all the details of being a fallen, stories had taught him all that he knew but it did not teach him of all what came of being a fallen. As judgment entered his room he stood high and mighty as an angel clad in gold and white ripped his silken garment and the crown upon his head, forcing him onto his knees. Staring straight ahead he focused his gaze upon a crystal flower, kept inside a glass case, the last reminder he had of Arthur. Truly he would cherish the delicate flower in his mind. Slowly he began to close his eyes, waiting for the warmth of pain to run through his body. Yet nothing came of it, confused he pried his eyes open and stared at the angels around him, speaking up in a hushed and worried tone, "Aren't I going to be exiled…?" The angel with eyes of violet and stepped up brushing his thumb over Alfred's cheek, "Yes, but before this we truly wish for you to be purged of all of Arthur's madness. And you shall be." Wide eyes and mouth agape, Alfred feverishly shook his head. If he had not the memories of Arthur then everything he had planned, everything he had constructed would fail and never again would he by his beloved side. He would have none of it but before being able to flee he had been held down and in a heartbeat he had heard a terrifying crunch. Before his mind registered what had happened a blood curdling scream had escaped his mouth. He screamed not because of the pain but screamed because of the memories being torn away whilst the pain subsided. The memories he so carefully tried to keep and treasure where fading, trying as he could to keep awake he had fallen unconscious. His eyelids heavy with sleep slowly closed as he began the descent to madness…to the pits of hell.

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**...To Be Continued... **

**Author's Note: Hi, thank you for reading part 1 of Invictus, a USUK Fic that I've written and am in the process of finishing. I really hope you all like it! There will be approximately 3-4 or more parts of it! There are _a lot_ of details I need to work on and tamper with but I hope you continue to follow this story! And yes, this story revolves around the poem, ****Invictus ****by **_**William Ernest Henly**_**. Um... any questions please go ahead and ask .u. **


	2. Part II

**Invictus**

**Part II **

_In the fell clutch of circumstance  
I have not winced nor cried aloud.  
Under the bludgeonings of chance  
My head is bloody, but unbowed._

**T**he deep slumber purged Arthur of all helpless thoughts, in slumber Arthur would find what he was in search for. And so as he slept his thoughts were drifted into another life he once knew, the life he had before he had been given wings.

** A**rthur Kirkland was not a lowly demon, born of two sins he was acquainted as a royal. His sweet crimson tainted hair and piercing acidic green eyes had been the envy of all. He was a soon to be ruler of the only placed he had ever called home, the place of agonizing screams and sweet temptations. Hell was a playground for tortured souls and a Kingdom to devil and demons. Yet born here Arthur had never felt it was becoming of him to be so fond of the place. Not because of the ghastly events occurring minute to minute but because it held nothing for him but a title. Years of trickery and lust had lost it's fun, by his four hundredth birthday Arthur had cursed his birth. Tired and neglected he sought for something new, something to aspire for. In search for his dream Arthur abandoned his past life of luxury and began to search every corner of hell but poor Arthur had known every corner of the freezing kingdom. Arthur knew the palace of light was the only place that would satisfy his curiosity. To be there would be a crime but he cared not, there was nothing to lose so when the moon was at full rise he left the gates of hell and ascended towards heaven.

**P**anting heavily, bruises and deep wounds stinging his body, Arthur ran with all his might as he laughed into the night. Tonight, tonight he felt completely alive and with the taste of havoc Arthur craved for more. Escaping judgment he found himself breaking into a peculiar building. This building unlike the rest of the marbled creations was amongst the beauty of nature. Flowers of every kind bloomed, vines intertwining with one another, making themselves as walls, shielding whatever was inside from the outside. Arthur hid himself among the bushes, waiting for the others to fly past him, once they had, he crawled out of the bush. Dusting himself off, which really made no difference. His clothes were torn and his face was dusted with grime and blood. Forgetting the matter, Arthur entered the floral building and to his surprise it was rather empty. Nothing but a curious giant closed white rose amongst a sea of other flowers that were in full bloom. Although disappointed in the room he was still in awe with seeing every flower, never in his life had he ever seen such life in one room. With a step forward he crossed the room, hands brushing against the soft petals and leaves, making his way towards the giant enclosed rose. Arthur had heard talk of such things of nature, everyone down below hated it. Told about the wretched smell and blinding colors of flowers Arthur never really cared for nature so he was never instigated to find out more about it. Now that he stood in the immaculate garden, he knew how wrong everyone was and wondered why they would come to hate something as beautiful as this but- he reminded himself, it was hell. Kingdom of those who hated and envied beauty, how hypocritical. However, did that mean they hated him? He shook his head, no, in fact they loved and praised him. Arthur was born out sins, everyone but him was convinced he was the epitome of evil. Raised up to be a grand King yet now here he was, a rebellion igniting in his heart as he took a step closer towards the rose. Within arms reach, Arthur looked around, making sure there was no one in sight he reached out and brushed his fingers against the soft petal. His lips formed into a smile as he drew his forehead closer to the rose, nuzzling it and breathing in it's beautiful scent. Captivated by the beauty before him, Arthur hadn't realized the flower starting to bloom. Having finally noticed Arthur smiled with anticipation. He felt a bond form between him and the rose and so when the rose decided to bloom for him, Arthur was strangely touched by it. Ever so gentle he brushed the petals once again as he took a step back, wanting to give the rose space. Curious as ever Arthur glanced over, wanting to see what was inside and much to his surprise he blinked several times. With wide eyes he gulped and shivered, terrified of what he saw before him inside the rose. He was terrified not of the thing inside but terrified of the bond he had just formed with it. The baby within the rose wriggled around, shivering ever so much as it had lost it's warmth once the rose bloomed. Cold and afraid the baby started to cry out, tears pouring down his tinted red cheeks. Alerted, Arthur panicked and looked around hoping know one had heard the infant's cries, no one in sight he picked up the infant and cradled him in his arms. Cooing and shushing him as best as he could. The infant found Arthur's embrace to be warm and comforting. However Arthur's tainted soul had begun to harm the child and as time passed by Arthur found himself looking down at the quiet infant slowly dying in his arms. He frowned and tried placing the infant back into the rose but to his disappointment the child wasn't any better and so here he was. Picking up the infant and holding him tightly in his arms as he ran out of the building he hoped the angels would find him and so they did. With no time to spare they ripped Arthur away from the infant, Arthur struggled against them and asked, begged, for them to heal the infant. The angel to his side looked down at Arthur with confusion. A demon begging? No not just a low demon but a prince begging these glorious creatures to help. How queer the angel before him though, how intriguing as well. With a decision made up in his mind the angel kneeled to meet Arthur's gaze, cupping the demon's cheek he smiled at Arthur. "The child will live, crippled because of your tainted hands but he will...and the crimes you have committed tonight will not be overlooked. Dear, dear Arthur, a bond you've formed and a bond you'll have. A new life will be your curse, a second chance will bring you nothing but sorrow. And nothing but a guardian you shall be till you perish." Arthur growled at the angel before him. How high and mighty these stupid creatures were, Arthur loathed every single one of them. Always thought of themselves as good and gracious yet they were as horrid as the devils in hell! He growled and shook his head, kicking at the angel as he cursed in the old language. The angels all sighed, they had seen the same seen. A devil to be purged away from heaven for his irrational behavior. They had all expected the same outcome as well but to their surprise they found themselves puzzled as Arthur's tainted hair had paled out and his eyes ever so disgustingly acidic had cleared out as emerald gems. He had been cleansed and purged from all sin, though one might find this as salvation. To a demon however this was anything but.

**T**he warm breeze tickled the young boy's skin, the wind inviting him to dance along side her and the trees. The light was high and bright, illuminating every corner, it's purple and warm hues comforting the weary. Alfred laughed as he ran and soared throughout the sea of flowers. The warm light kissing his cherry cheeks. What a beauty the boy was, young, naive and innocent an icon in the eyes of the sullen. Arthur watched as his baby bird ran and played, these where the moments the demon would treasure. After the cleanse he was placed as the young infant's guardian. Shamed and alone he lived for no one but Alfred...at least he had for his first years. Now that the boy was reaching a more mature age Arthur began to search of ways to go back home. He felt he was never meant to last with Alfred forever. He was a demon and as much as he wished he knew deep in his heart he was nothing but a tainted soul. Not only that but he did not want to cause the young boy any more sorrow. Yes, everyone was fond of Alfred but- many shunned the boy because of his company with Arthur, the former demon. Not until his twentieth birthday did Alfred never understood why everyone ignored Arthur. Though on that day everything had been revealed to him, he knew of the reason why his sight was impaired and why no one ever cared for Arthur. On that day, Alfred discovered anger, only once had there ever been such a strong emotion in heaven, the day the beloved light bearer Lucifer betrayed his ever loving parent. And on that very day, Alfred's life would ever change, the path he had been given was eradicated, his fate now lied alongside with Arthur's.

**I**ntense heat wrapped around Alfred's body, descending into hell he screamed in agony as his body turned to ash. Burnt and gone he was reborn from the ashes, his once golden hair now dark as coal covered his cold and piercing blue eyes. There he now lay in the cold caverns of hell among side the disgusting creatures of hell. Inching towards him the creature snarled and licked their snouts, demon or not a meal is a meal. They would not waste such an opportune moment to eat, crawling closer they all attacked at once. Alfred lay still as the creatures had begun to eat at him, there was nothing for him, no memories, nothing. There would no point in being alive would it? Feeling his skin ripped apart he formed a thought...maybe there was something for him...he knew nothing, so he would take upon himself to know everything. And so before he was damaged anymore he fought back, heavy with pain and sleep he fought till not a sight of any creature was found. Wiping the sweat and sludge of blood from his mouth Alfred made his way towards the giant iron gates in the distance.

**...To Be Continued...**

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**Author's Note: Once again thank you very much for reading Part II of Invictus! And thank you so much for the lovely reviews! I hope you continue to follow the story and the story will be 5 Parts! I'll try my best to update weekly too! Any other questions you're very much welcome to ask. Also on the next part I'll go more into detail with Alfred and how he lives in hell and FINALLY there will be MUCH MUCH MORE interaction amongst Arthur and Alfred! So apologies if this seems really slow! n/ Anyways, hoped you enjoyed it!**

**OH! And yes, I edited the first part, taking out the second verse of the poem and instead using it for Part II!**


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